Swan Song
by dancingstar513
Summary: Sequel to The Special Two.
1. The Beginning of the End

**Hello everyone! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long for this. Getting a start on this story is really difficult. So I might end up coming back and changing it later. I'll let you know if I do. But here's chapter 1. It might be a little boring, getting back into it, but I promise this will be the last chapter that dwells on Anna. I just had to get some closure with my favorite character and bring everyone up to date on how they were all feeling. Enjoy! **

_**Swan Song**_

**Chapter 1**

Sirius walked up to the glass double doors cautiously, each step forward bringing him backward emotionally. He had about four steps left until he stood upon that welcome mat that he hadn't seen since Christmas day.

_One,_ he counted in his head. The petite silhouette he normally didn't allow himself to think about popped into his mind. He ignored her and took another step.

_Two,_ her face was becoming clearer. That beautiful, flawless face that had never failed to make him smile. It didn't let him down this time, either. At a time when smiles were few and far between, he welcomed them with open arms, even if their source brought back dark memories.

_Three,_ "I love you," the illusion told him, the scene filling in around her. He forced his legs to carry him the last step as his mind tried to stop her. He knew what came next.

_Four,_ he watched as a jet of green light hit her and her body went limp in his arms. He sank to his knees on the Scotts' doorstep, clenching his fists and squeezing his eyes shut. The picture went black.

He counted backward from 7 in Spanish (his coping mechanism), slowly regained control of himself and stood up carefully. He heard Lily rushing toward the door, and she flung it open crying, "are you okay?" She reached out for him and he gladly took her hand.

"I'm fine." His head was still kind of spinning, but he straightened out completely and that helped a bit.

"Where have you been? I thought you were right behind James and me?"

He sighed. "I took a pit stop to talk to Remus. He owled me earlier and I needed time to collect myself." That was partially a lie. He had needed to collect himself, but Remus had not owled asking for his company. Really, he had visited to get a moment away from Lily and James. He appreciated all they were doing for him, but Lily's constant caretaking and James' constant upbeat attitude were wearing on him. He couldn't get to annoyed, though, because owed it all to them. They had taken him in when he couldn't be on his own, and he really had gotten better because of it.

"Oh," she looked relieved. "I told you you didn't have to come if you weren't ready."

"No, I'm ready," he told her, taking a deep breath.

"Come in," she said quietly. He nodded, letting go of her hand and putting his arm around her shoulders.

Lily had been spending time at Anna's parents' house since graduation, cleaning up the mess from the attack, and trying to decide what to do with everything. The members of the Order of the Phoenix had taken every precaution they could, including drafting wills. Anna had been left everything by her parents, and in turn, she left everything to Lily and Sirius. Lily had done the best she could taking care of Mr. and Mrs. Scotts' things, but she hadn't done anything to Anna's, because she figured that was something she and Sirius needed to do together.

Sirius was glad she had cleaned up; at least it reminded him of a happier time, now. His heart raced faster and faster the closer he and Lily got to her room. He didn't feel the usual weakness coming on that he associated with thinking of her, which shocked him. James waited outside the room, and opened the door when they approached. Sirius hadn't thought he would be able to walk inside, but when the door opened and he saw her unmade bed, clothes strewn across the floor, and her scent hit him like a punch to the stomach, he became intoxicated with the thought of being near her again, in one way at least.

He walked in, mesmerized. Lily stood back in James' arms, watching him marvel at everything. He had never imagined this would have been the reaction brought on my being reminded of her so strongly. He turned around apprehensively to look at his best friends. Lily understood the look in his eyes and said, "we'll see you at home later."

"Thanks."

"Don't be too long, tomorrow is Thursday!" she said, heading toward him. Thursdays were Order meetings, and they always had a big lunch with their friends beforehand. Even Emily was coming up for this one, which was unusual, because she was usually at home taking care of her mother.

"Wouldn't miss it." He kissed her check and nodded at James. They left him alone.

He walked over to her closed Hogwarts trunk and opened it gingerly. Her never worn graduation robes sat atop the mess that was inside. He chuckled to himself. She'd never quite been the organized one in the group.

He pulled things out, one by one, taking the time to cherish each one. Her beautiful dress she'd worn for the Potter Christmas Extravaganza, his sweatshirt she always stole because she loved to wear it, her final essay of her education—she'd gotten a perfect grade and Lily hadn't even helped, a picture frame with a photograph of all of their friends sledding last winter…Only two things were missing; her wand, which all wizards were buried with, and her ring from her parents and him. He had insisted she be buried with that as well. He started to move away from the empty trunk when he spotted something else inside. An old, leather journal peeked out at him from the bottom. He picked it up and opened to the first page, hands trembling.

In Anna's 11-year old handwriting, scribbled across the front page was "JAMES POTTER AND SIRIUS BLACK, STOP READING MY DIARY!" He laughed, all apprehension dissolving, and turned the page.

"Dear diary, Sirius Black and James Potter are the most annoying people on this planet. They're always picking on me, and they think it's funny, but it's not."

The smile stayed on his face as he flipped through the book, watching as her handwriting grew more and more elegant, and one page caught his eye that he had to go back to.

"SIRIUS BLACK," it read, "I changed my mind. If I ever die and you find this, I want you to read it. Then you'll really know how much I loved you." There was only one entry after that.

His smile quivered, and he took the book, crawled into Anna's bed, and immersed himself in her writings.

* * *

Lily apparated a few seconds behind James, but they arrived at the same time, and crashed into each other, falling over.

Lily rubbed her wrist as they pulled themselves off the ground outside their flat. "I don't understand how it's possible to be so slow at apparating!" she marveled.

He narrowed his eyes at her, searching for his key in his pocket.

Lily pushed past him, hers already out.

"What would I do without you?" he asked, following her in the door.

"You would be a miserable, horny bloke."

He shut the door behind him, flipping the light on. He found Lily looking at him with a smirk on her face, and he couldn't help but to stare back. She amazed him. After graduation, Sirius had rented an apartment right next to theirs, and James checked in on him often. He wasn't doing so well, so Lily convinced James to let Sirius live with them for a while—they had an extra bedroom, after all, and they could keep an eye on him. Lily was a saint to Sirius. She gave him the independence he needed, but never let him be alone enough to get down again. Lily and James talked about Anna a lot, but Sirius wasn't ready to yet. They hoped that would change, because they thought it would help him. But Lily had been so strong through all of this, and made James jealous. She laughed at him staring at her, and he sighed. He could have sworn she had grown even more beautiful in the last month. Maybe it was just the change he had seen in her, though. She had come to embrace everything in life, not waste one moment, and had let her hair down a bit. It was as though when Anna left the Earth, she left part of herself within Lily, and James loved every minute of it.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him, taking note of his goofy grin.

"How perfect you are," he replied, taking a step toward her.

She blushed.

"There it is! I thought the blush was gone forever!" he stroked her cheek. "I'm glad it's not. I wonder if you still blush when I do…this!" He pulled his t-shirt over his head.

Instead of looking away, she took a moment to fully appreciate his well-sculpted physique. "I think I'm the luckiest girl on Earth." Her eyes met his.

"No, _I_ am."

"What? The luckiest girl on Earth?" She giggled. "Sirius won't be home for a while, and we aren't expecting Emily until morning…"

He took her hint and her hand and practically ran to the bedroom.

* * *

"James," Lily whispered.

He opened his eyes, taking note that dawn was just beginning to break. He rolled on to his back. "What is it, Lil?"

"I can't sleep." She snuggled in to his side.

"Thinking about Anna?"

"Always. But now I'm feeling guilty."

"Why? You didn't do anything!"

"I know, I know, but I should be miserable right now. That's not how I feel. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. My best friend is dead, and I'm happy. How wrong is that?"

"Not wrong at all. Anna was all about celebrating life. That's all you're doing. Our time, like hers, is limited. Do you think we should be spending it moping?"

"Of course not. Do you think Sirius is doing okay?"

"Yes. I think he'd come home if we wasn't. He depends on you so much. You've been just perfect with him, Lil. I know that you're hurting, but you put it aside to help him." He rubbed his fingernails up and down her arm.

"We're supposed to take care of each other," she sounded slightly embarrassed at the praise. "You're handling it well too," she pointed out.

"I've had a lot of loss in my life. My grandparents, my mother…I guess I'm just getting used to it."

"That's awful. Can we talk about something happier?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Remember the night after Anna…" she trailed off, still unable to say the words aloud.

"How could I forget? It was the first time we…" he mimicked her sentence.

_Lily gave Sirius one last squeeze before crawling out of his bed to find James who had left ten minutes earlier. They'd been laying there for almost 24 hours, consumed by their grief. She stumbled slightly on a shoe that was left in the middle of the room because her vision was blurred by tears. She made her way to the entrance of the Head Dorm and pressed her hand to the wall. James was nowhere in sight, so she assumed he was in his bedroom. Without knocking, she let herself in, and saw that he was tearing apart an old shirt, facing away from her. _

_She walked up behind him silently, and grabbed his arms, easing them down. Her cold touch made him jump, but immediately relieved the anger he had been feeling. He dropped the white scraps of fabric and turned to Lily with a hungry look in his eyes. He kissed her so forcefully that she was pushed back against the wall, and in response, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing her body close, and returned the kiss just as eagerly. Neither of them said a word, but took all of their unexpressed feelings about the killing out in physical passion. _

_When James woke up the next morning, Lily wasn't next to him, but he heard the water running in their bathroom, and heard her sweet voice singing a melancholy tune. He stretched out, yawning, and rubbing his eyes that were still raw from crying and trying to hold back tears. He was warm, and tried to disentangle himself from the sheets, but Lily walked out of the bathroom as he was struggling with them, wrapped in her towel, and he became distracted. _

_She crawled on the bed next to him and sat over him, long wet hair dripping on his bare chest._

"_You were singing."_

"_It seemed appropriate." She tried to smile again, and it came out as a small grin. _

"_Lily, the whole thing with Clara, I just want you to know—"_

"_Shh. I know. I think I knew the whole time. I just had these deep-rooted confidence issues that part of me wanted to prove right. There are more important things than that. I see that now."_

_He hugged her as her chin quivered. _

"_What are you planning to do after graduation?"_

"_I was going to take that job, but I'm beginning to think that working for the Order is my first priority right now. But I need the money. I'll probably rent an apartment, too."_

_He pushed himself up so he was sitting against the headboard. "I have a proposal to put on the table."_

_She straightened out too. "I'm willing to negotiate."_

"_I can't be away from you. Not as long as I know what's out there. My parents have had a fund set up for me since before I was born, and there is plenty of money in there. I promise to support you and give you everything you want and need so you don't have to work and we can dedicate ourselves to the Order. If, and here's the one condition, you let me move in with you."_

_She looked at him for a moment, biting her lip. Ever-confident James didn't feel so sure of himself suddenly. _This was a bad time to bring this up_, he scolded himself, _what if she doesn't want to live with me?

_He studied her face as she kept him in suspense longer. When she finally spoke, he had already resigned himself to moving in with Sirius._

"_There's nothing I would like more than that, James."_

James turned his head toward Lily, snapping out of the memory. "You made me the happiest I've ever been, at one of the saddest times I've ever had. I see what you mean. But Anna would have wanted us to be happy."

"Everyone keeps saying that, but how can you be sure?"

James hesitated before he spoke. "We talked about it once."

Lily sat up quickly, a confused look on her face. "What are you talking about?"

"One time, I went to Anna to talk about troubles we were having in our relationship. We talked about how important you are to us, and we swore to each other we'd do everything we could to protect you and keep you happy if the other one passed. That's all."

She could see he didn't want to go into detail with her. Why, she wasn't sure, but she trusted his judgment. She sighed, relaxing back down under the covers. "That makes it better, at least, knowing that."

"Think you could sleep now?" James asked, his eyes yearning to be closed again.

"Probably not. But I'll let you get a few more hours." She started to get up.

"Where are you going?"

"To see Sirius." She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders.

"You're not going by yourself," he started to get out of bed too, and they heard a loud crack, causing them to grab their wands and position themselves toward the door.

James walked cautiously toward the door, and was about to open it and fire a spell when they heard a knock and "it's me!" Without waiting for an answer, Sirius barged in.

Lily remembered to breathe, and James muttered, "bastard."

"What have we told you about walking in here without our permission?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "It's not like you'd be in the middle of anything."

James, still holding his wand, fired a tongue-tying curse at him. Sirius couldn't get any coherent words out.

"Serves him right," James said when Lily gave him a pointed look. She rolled her eyes too, and performed the counter curse.

Sirius grinned broadly at James, taunting him.

"Why are you back so early?" James asked.

Sirius' grin didn't disappear. "I'm ready to talk about it."


	2. With A Little Help From My Friends

_**Swan Song**_

**Chapter 2**

Reading Anna's diary had been closure for Sirius. And now that he had talked with Lily and James about her, he felt the best he had in a month. He charmed the soup he was making to stir itself, and ducked into the fridge to get out some milk. They were out.

Their favorite radio station was blaring through the house, and he heard Lily's voice singing along from the bathroom. He walked over there and stuck his head in the door.

"LilyBean!"

"AAAHHHHH!"

He heard the crash of a shampoo bottle falling to the floor and Lily scrambling to pick it up. "Damn it, Sirius! What do you want?"

"We're out of milk." He said innocently.

"And what do you want me to do about that?"

"Get some more? My soup is going to burn."

"I'm sorry, you're going to have to talk to James about that. I'm sort of in the middle of something…can soup burn?"

On cue, James came running down the hall. "What's going on in here? It sounded like you fell." He narrowed his eyes at Sirius peeking in the bathroom Lily was showering in.

Sirius rounded on him. "Did you finish the milk?"

"Yes sir."

"Did you write it on the shopping list?"

"No sir."

"Do you realize what you did wrong here?"

"Yes sir."

"Will you do it again?"

"Probably. Sir."

Sirius sighed. "Well go get some more!"

James obediently scampered out of the house, and Sirius resumed his bread baking.

* * *

"Honey! I'm hoooome!" James was standing in the doorway, holding a carton of milk.

Sirius untied the apron from around his waist and ran to James, kissing him on the cheek. "I've missed you so, darling! Don't ever stay away that long again! Come, sit down, I'll make you a cup of tea!"

James marched over to the fridge, put the milk away, and sat down at the kitchen table, expectantly.

Sirius was busy with the kettle when a crack came from right outside the door. It opened and Emily stood there.

"EM!" Lily cried, hearing her arrive and running out of the bathroom with one towel wrapped around her head and one wrapped around her body. She charged at the girl, hugging her for a long time.

They broke apart, teary-eyed, and looked over to the two boys, neither of whom had said anything. Sirius was putting a cup of tea in front of James.

"Just how I like it," he complimented him adoringly.

Lily cleared her throat. Sirius turned around to look at them, then abruptly screamed and threw his hands over his face.

"Ahhh! Lilian! Don't you think that's inappropriate attire?" He peeked through his fingers like a child. "But now I see why James never wants to leave the bedroom…"

James smacked his face lightly and Lily blushed profusely, running off to her bedroom to change her clothes.

"I see you two are too busy playing house to greet me," Emily nodded curtly in their direction. She went to sit down on the couch and flew up off the middle cushion as James and Sirius flopped down next to her on either side.

They caught up a bit until Lily came back out of the bedroom saying, "is this more decent for you, Sirius? Or are your eyes still burning? And speaking of burning…" she sniffed the air.

"My sooouuuuup!" He jumped up, and rushed toward the oven.

The rest of them laughed at his performance. They talked about how things had been since they left Hogwarts, and listened to Sirius reenact all the scenes from Lily's favorite new muggle movie that she had forced the boys to watch over and over again—Grease.

The door opened yet again, and in came Peter and Remus. Sirius left his salmon-garnishing and he shimmied over to them singing "you're the one that I want! (You are the one I want!) Remus! Remus! Remus! Oh! The one that I want!"

"What have you done to him?" Peter asked Lily, looking horrified.

"Just keeping him up to date with pop culture!"

"Who's ready to eat?" Sirius called, ending his song. They rushed to the table, chattering loudly.

"So Emily," Remus began, "how are things at home?"

"We're doing okay…except mum. She lost her sister and a son in the same year. I'm doing everything I can to help her out. I just wish I could have been there the night Anna…" she trailed off the same way Lily had the night before, unable to say the words. Her eyes slid over to Sirius, who sat next to her, hoping she hadn't upset him. Lily's letters had alerted her to how awful he had been doing, but his face didn't give away any pain he was feeling.

"It's probably best you weren't," Lily said from Em's other side, "we were a mess. I can't believe we haven't seen you since before that!"

"I know! It's really strange going from seeing you every day to not at all! Has anything exciting happened that I haven't heard about?"

Sirius spoke up with a smirk. "I think Remus has an answer to that."

Remus whipped his head around to glare at Sirius. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that stupid grin on your face. Moony's in love!"

The girls and James gasped and leaned forward on their hands to hear more.

"Not in love!" Remus groaned, "I just met her."

"Ah! But there is a her!" Sirius shouted in triumph.

"Tell us about her!" the girls (and James) chorused dreamily.

Remus laughed, and his face flushed a little. "I met her on work for the Order. She's also a…werewolf. Her name is Cora. She's the most amazing person I've ever met," Sirius pretended to gag, "and thanks to Lily, I was able to ask her on a date. We've seen each other every day since then."

"That's great, Remus!" Lily gushed.

"So great!" Sirius mimicked her high voice. She and Remus shot him "the look."

"Well, who's ready to go?" James asked, pushing his chair back from the table.

They finished up their meals and stood around in a the living room, ready to stagger their disapparition to the temporary headquarters of the Order. James was the last to leave, and he turned on the spot, his house blurring around him. The second he landed on the street, it was obvious that something was wrong.

"JAMES!" he heard Lily shriek. There were jets of light shooting everywhere, and five hooded figures fighting his best friends. A hand pulled him down to the ground, just barely giving him the chance to see one of the Death Eaters stepping over a body.


	3. Of Duels, Rings, and Brotherly Love

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait on this, but I hope you like it. Don't forget to review, either. There has been a serious lack of that for this story…But I just love writing it, so I'll trust that you love reading it just as much. By the way, I apologize for the sappiness of this chapter…must have been in one of those moods :)**

_**Swan Song**_

**Chapter 3**

James looked to his side to see that it was Remus that had pulled him down, and he quickly rolled over, jumped up, and stunned a Death Eater.

More Death Eaters were appearing, and he and Sirius flung themselves back-to-back. They shot barrages of nonverbal spells at speeds they had never thought possible, and watched Death Eaters fall one by one.

James saw Lily out of the corner of her eye and took a moment to admire her flawless, graceful spellwork, as she dueled a man who had impossibly blond hair peeking out from under his hood. His awe was interrupted when he saw another Death Eater pointing his wand at her from behind.

He felt Sirius turn his head just then and notice the same thing. Simultaneously, they shouted "PROTEGO!" and their spells combined to meet the Death Eater's cruciatus curse, but they were so powerful that they not only stopped the curse, but blasted it back toward the Death Eater and knocked him unconscious.

"Nice one, Padfoot," James turned slightly to see Sirius' stomping toward the unconscious Death Eater.

"This is the one who killed her," he said softly. James could barely hear him over the blasts. "Revenge is sweet." He raised his wand.

"Don't," James told him, trying to still concentrate on protecting their backs. "You aren't a murderer. We'll take him to Azkaban."

Sirius nodded solemnly, and they turned back to the fight. Only a few Death Eaters were left standing, and a quick inventory told James that all of his friends were still in it. Just after that assessment, he heard the last thing he ever wanted to: Lily's scream. He left Sirius' side and ran to his girlfriend, whose wand arm was bleeding profusely as she lay on the street, shouting in agony. She had dropped her wand, but as James rushed to her, he watched as a curse blasted from her body, knocking Malfoy over. He wasn't moving, and James looked to Sirius, who nodded his assurance, so James bent over, grabbed Lily's wand, held her tight as he disapparated.

They materialized in his father's home, and he set her gently on the couch. Her face was ashen, and contorted with pain.

He held her good hand and wiped her hair out of her face. "Lil, don't worry."

She tried to smile. "I'm not. You were amazing."

"So were you," he told her. "DAD!" He yelled.

Mr. Potter came rushing into the room, and his face turned shocked.

"What happened?" He asked urgently.

"We got to headquarters early, and there were Death Eaters waiting. Lily was hit by a curse."

Mr. Potter ran from the room, and came back in a minute holding a cloth and a small bottle of orange liquid. "Put this on to slow the bleeding. I'll try to find Poppy." He disapparated with a crack.

James immediately uncorked the bottle and began dabbing the potion on Lily's arm. The gashes were deep, and she cringed when it touched them.

"Who's Poppy?" Lily asked feebly.

"Madam Pomfrey. She and my dad are friends from when they went to Hogwarts together."

"Oh. Do you think the others are okay?"

At that moment, their best friends appeared, sweaty and looking tired, but all in one piece. Emily looked terrified, as did Peter, but Remus and Sirius knelt next to James in front of Lily, trying to comfort her.

There was another crack, and Mr. Potter was back with Madam Pomfrey in tow, both laden with potions and other medical materials.

"Out of my way," she bustled over to the couch. "Everyone out." She eyed James, who wasn't showing any sign of movement.

James sighed, kissed Lily softly, and left with his friends.

They sat around the Mr. Potter's kitchen table and gave a play-by-play of their individual fights until they realized it was dark out and they were hungry.

"I should get home to Cora," Remus said, standing up.

"Bring her by next week," James invited, "Lily could use some more females in her life. I think she's starting to grow facial hair just from being around so much testosterone all the time."

Remus smiled and agreed. He hugged Emily and shook hands with Peter, Sirius and James, and left.

"I should be getting home too," Emily said. She still looked shaken.

"Wormtail, go with her to make sure she gets home safely."

Peter was afraid too, but agreed, not wanting to seem too wimpy to his friends. Earlier hadn't been easy…

They said their goodbyes, and Peter and Emily left.

"Aren't you glad you can't call yourself a murderer?" James teased, turning to Sirius.

He laughed. "Yeah. He'll get what's coming to him in Azkaban."

"Should I go back to the apartment?" Sirius asked lamely, hoping James would say no. He didn't really fancy staying alone after that attack.

"Why don't you stay in your room here tonight? Or you could stay in mine…" he added, remembering Sirius had left everything that reminded him of Anna in his old room when he moved.

"Thanks, Prongs. Mine should be fine." They exchanged meaningful looks. James clapped a hand on his shoulder and turned back to the living room, hoping Madam Pomfrey would let him in to see Lily now.

His dad was waiting in the hallway outside the room as well. Without a word, he embraced his son tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay. Lily told me how great you were. I'm so proud."

James beamed. "I get it from you. You talked to Lily?"

"She's asleep. You can go in whenever. I talked to Dumbledore as well. He thinks we're going to have to have a secret keeper for the headquarters now, since Voldemort seems to understand the threat of the Order. He's going to start targeting people now. Nothing is safe anymore…so I want to give you something."

James looked at him questioningly, but followed him up the stairs when he motioned.

Mr. Potter led James to his room and reached in the closet for a box. He dug in it and pulled out something small that he held in his closed hand.

"James, just in case…If something happens…your mother is already gone, and I'm not trying to rush you, but if something were to happen to me, I want you to have this. It was your mother's."

James held out his hand, and Mr. Potter dropped something cold and hard into it.

James' eyes widened in shock as he realized what it was: a beautiful white gold ring with a large diamond in the center, with an emerald resting on each side. His mum's engagement ring.

James' hand shook as he experienced a lot of emotions at once. Sadness for the loss of his mother, honor for being handed down her ring, and most of all, shock at the realization he had just come to. He wanted to marry Lily.

"Thanks, dad."

"It will look beautiful on Lily," he told his son. They embraced once more, and James started to walk out of the room to go see his girlfriend. He turned around when he reached the door and said, "I love you."

"I love you too, James."

James made a stop on the way to see Lily. He knocked lightly on Sirius' door, then entered without waiting for him to answer. Sirius was standing with his back to James, looking at a photograph of himself and Anna that hung on the wall.

"Padfoot," he said quietly.

Sirius turned around with a haunted look on his face. "I never truly appreciated just how beautiful she was."

James walked to stand next to him. "I don't think any of us did."

Sirius turned to James and said urgently, "don't waste any time you have with Lily. Promise me."

James smiled a half-smile. "That's kind of why I came to see you." He pulled the ring out of his pocket. "My dad gave me this, and I want to give it to Lily."

Sirius' face looked conflicted.

"Is something wrong?"

"I've been waiting for you to come to me to have this conversation. I wanted to give you the ring I was going to give to Anna. But I guess you already have one. I know it's unconventional with the diamond, but you could use Anna's as the wedding ring. If you want to," he looked kind of embarrassed.

James hugged his best friend again. "We've had an excessive amount of physical contact today," he noted aloud.

Sirius laughed. "Life's too short to pretend that men don't have emotions."

"It's also too short not to have a flying motorcycle. I can't believe I forgot to tell you!" James got excited. "A man my dad works with is selling his!"

Sirius jumped up and down. "This is what we've always dreamed of!"

"I know! We'll be unstoppable!"

"We'll have to find a sidecar for you, though…"

"Wait. Who says I'm riding in a sidecar?"

"Well I'm not letting you cuddle my waist and press your crotch to my bum for an uncomfortable amount of time."

"A sidecar it is."

"Find out how much it is and let me know."

"I sure will. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night."

James headed to the living room, where Lily was still on the couch. He tiptoed over to her, but saw that she was wide awake, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey Lil," he said quietly, kneeling by her head.

She smiled a little in response.

"Not tired?"

"Not really." She turned her head to look at him wistfully. "I'm sorry about what happened today. I was too weak and I failed and you had to leave our friends to help me."

James looked astonished. "You really think that? You were fantastic out there. Do you know when Malfoy hit you with that curse, you did powerful nonverbal, wandless magic?"

She shook her head with a confused expression. "I did?"

"And you didn't even know it…" He laughed in awe.

"Still. You shouldn't have to be protecting my back all the time." He frowned. He was getting angry with her now.

"What are you fighting for?" He asked her, looking intensely into her eyes.

"I don't know. I'm beginning to wonder if it's even worth it anymore…"

James grabbed her chin and turned it so she was forced to look at him. He raised his voice, which came out sharper than he planned. "Never say that. What are you fighting for?"

A tear rolled down her cheek and her voice wavered. "To stop Voldemort so nobody else I love dies."

"Well I'm fighting for my mum. I'm fighting for Anna. And most of all, I'm fighting for you. You, Lily. So don't tell me to stop."


	4. Hold On to Your Knickers!

**Once again, I apologize for this taking me so long! I have been insanely busy, but every time I open this story, it sucks me right back in. So here's another chapter for your enjoyment, and hopefully another to come soon!**

_**Swan Song**_

**Chapter 4**

As the weeks passed, Voldemort continued to gain followers, and each day, _The_ _Daily Prophet _was filled with untimely deaths. Even still, the Marauders, Lily, and Emily found time every week to temporarily forget about the wizarding world's woes and enjoy the company of their best friends.

Lily's arm had improved greatly, as had her spirits, and she and James were spending most of their spare time practicing dueling with their school professors that were members of the Order. The Order was strong, but they were hugely outnumbered. So they did what they had to do: keep recruiting.

"And remember," Dumbledore said to wrap up a meeting, "do not trust anybody. The Death Eaters have been known to use polyjuice potion, so you must ask security questions. That's all for today. See you on Tuesday."

Everyone pushed their chairs away from the table and stretched out. It had been a long, informational meeting in which they accomplished a lot. Despite James' protesting, his father had volunteered to be the secret keeper for the new Order headquarters, which was in an old abandoned house in the countryside. They were now arguing in the corner in hushed voices.

"It's too dangerous, dad."

"Son," Mr. Potter had the defiant, invincible smirk on his face that he had passed down to James. "I don't know if you know this, but I am skilled in the art of magic."

"Ha, ha. I'm serious, though."

"So is he," Mr. Potter jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Sirius, who was braiding Remus' hair.

"Good God," James shook his head. "And to think. I was raised by you. Really, though, dad, he's going to personally come after you. He's been looking for information on the Order for months."

Mr. Potter's face turned somber. "There was nothing I could do to prevent your mom's death, or Anna's. If there is any way to keep him away from you, Sirius, and Lily, I will do whatever it takes." He hugged James. "I hope you understand. Now…why don't I see that ring on Lily's finger?"

"I'm working on it. Why is everyone pressuring me all the time?"

"Who's pressuring you?" Mr. Potter was confused.

"Well…you."

Mr. Potter chuckled and ruffled James' hair. "I have to get to work. I'll see you Tuesday."

"Bye, dad."

Sirius sauntered over just then. "Jamesie Pamesie. Are you ready for 'man time?'"

"I'm sorry, but since when have we called it 'man time?'"

"Since 10 seconds ago. What better name is there? We can't call it 'bike time,' because we don't want Lily to know about the motorcycle."

"_Excuse me_?" Lily stepped between the two boys, looking from one to the other. "What motorcycle?"

"Uh-uh," James stepped back 2 feet. "Not the death glare. I remove myself from all connections to tonight's coming events."

"Sorry, but that's not going to cut it. You were part of this conspiracy."

"It's hardly a conspiracy—"

"On what planet would I let you ride a motorcycle?"

"Oh, calm down, Lilybean," Sirius said, reassuring her. "It's a _flying_ motorbike. It's much safer."

"Ugh," she threw up her hands.

"It's just like riding a broom," Sirius continued.

"Is it even legal?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes," James said, looking away, at the same time Sirius said, "who cares?"

She sighed. "Just stay together," she muttered resignedly.

They high-fived as she turned away.

"I heard that!"

Lily and Emily lay watching Lily's favorite muggle television program later that night.

"What do you think the boys are up to?" Lily mused.

"Probably getting into trouble." Emily smiled to herself.

"Do you still have feelings for Sirius?" Lily probed.

"That question came out of nowhere," Emily tried to avoid giving an answer.

"Not really, we were talking about him. Do you?"

"It's hard to tell anymore. It was always just a crush that I had to suppress because of Anna. And now there's no way I could ever tell him, even if I still did."

"Why not?"

"Because he'd say 'that's great, Em, but my heart has been stuck into a blender and pureed. I'll never love again.'"

"You think so?"

"That he won't ever fall in love again? I don't know."

"I've been thinking that myself, but James insists that he'll get back out there in a few months."

"He probably will. It's Sirius. He can't stay away from girls."

"Maybe he'll start flirting again, but Anna was practically designed for him. Now that he's lost her, nobody else will be good enough."

"Maybe you're right. I'll alert _The Daily Prophet_. Sirius Black is officially off the market. Females everywhere will be devastated."

Lily giggled. "What's been happening with Toby?"

"Nothing. He's moving to Egypt to work there, so we decided it was best to stay apart."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. He wasn't 'the one' anyway. And speaking of 'the one,' when should I be expecting an invitation to the Potter wedding?"

"I don't know. I'm not even sure if James has thought about it yet. If he has, he's been very secretive."

"Well, let's just hope Voldemort doesn't destroy the world before he gets a chance."

"HOLY SHIT, SIRIUS, SLOW DOWN!" Remus screamed as they soared through the air on the motorbike. His hands were gripping the handle on the sidecar so tightly that his fingers were going numb.

"I DIDN'T CATCH THAT!" Sirius grinned devilishly, pushing the accelerator harder.

"I SAID SLOW DOWN!"

Sirius shook his head. "I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU."

Remus removed a shaky hand from the handle and pointed his wand at his throat, muttering, "_sonorous_." Then he raised his head toward Sirius and shouted "LAND THE BLOODY BIKE!"

Sirius' grin disappeared and they started to decelerate and descend.

James and Peter were waiting for them on the ground. "How great was that? Moony, doesn't it give you such a thrill?" James asked.

Remus was staggering toward him with a ghostly white face. "It gives me something, but it feels more like vomit than a thrill."

"Who wants to go again?" Sirius asked.

"I'm with Moony. I don't want to get on it ever again," Peter complained.

Sirius and James locked eyes. At the same time, they both dove for the driver's seat.

Peter and Remus watched as the wrestled for 30 seconds before James ended up sitting on Sirius' face and yelling, "I am the victor!"

"Stuff it, Victor," Sirius yelled. "And get your arse off my face."

James jumped up on the bike and Sirius squished down into the sidecar. "Hold on to your knickers," James smiled as the bike launched forward.

"Let's hope they're not on the front page of the _Prophet_ tomorrow."

Lily awoke to the roar of the flying motorcycle before the men came stomping into the flat. She stood up from the couch, trying not to wake Emily.

"LILYBEAN!" Sirius cried, taking a running leap at her. She reflexively pointed her wand at him and shouted "_immobulus!_" Everyone took a moment to enjoy the dog-like smile temporarily frozen on his face.

"What'd you hex Sirius for?" Emily grumbled from the couch.

"If I hadn't, we'd have both gone crashing through that window," she explained.

"That was sexy, baaaaybayyy," James slinked toward her, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Have you been drinking?" Lily asked, though she could smell the answer on his breath.

He looked taken aback. "Have _you_ been drinking?"

Remus and Peter toppled over each other in laughter. Lily and James stared at them until Peter sat up. "Uhh," he said, poking Remus, "he passed out." They all shrugged.

"Is anyone going to un-freeze Sirius?" Emily asked, half-asleep again.

"Good idea." Lily vanished the glass in the window, stepped out of the way, and muttered, "_finite incantatem_."

Sirius' previous momentum carried him through the open window and into the bushes below.

"What the fu…" he trailed off, and he too, passed out.

The next morning, Lily wandered into her living room. She couldn't help laughing at what she saw. Remus was curled up by the door, Emily was asleep on the couch, and Peter was hanging halfway off the recliner, upside down. He let out a snore that startled him, and he twitched, falling off the chair. His eyes popped open, and he scurried back onto the chair, facing the right direction this time. She remembered Sirius, and walked over to the window. She stuck her head out and sure enough, Sirius was sprawled out in a flower bed. With his thumb in his mouth.

Lily let out another laugh, and levitated Sirius back through the window, and into his bed. He stirred slightly, and she started to rush out the door. He caught her arm as she was turning, though, and he pulled her down, kissed her on the forehead, and let her go, falling back asleep.

She had the goofiest grin on her face as she headed to the kitchen to make omelets for everyone. What would she do without her friends?


	5. Light in the Dark

_**Swan Song**_

**Chapter 5**

Lily awoke one morning to a faint knocking on the wall by her bed. She knew it must have been Sirius, whose room was right next to theirs, and as she got up and slipped on sweatpants, she wondered what he wanted. She opened his door slowly and he was still lying in bed with his head and shoulders propped upon a pillow. He had a blank stare on his face.

Lily, who immediately became concerned, rushed over to him. She couldn't help wondering, "Who's dead now?" She couldn't bear to consider the options. Emily? How could she go on without her dearest friend? Peter? He was just so innocent and defenseless. Remus? She wanted to throw up at just the thought. She composed her thoughts and asked him "What's wrong?"

"It's just one of those days I can't get out of bed. Everything hurts too much." He laid his head on her shoulder. "How are you so strong, Lily? Sometimes I feel like the Death Eater killed me too that night."

"You shouldn't feel weak at all, Sirius. You watched it happen." He flinched against her. "She was your whole life. If that terrible night had never happened, we would be celebrating your marriage right now. You would have been the most stunning couple there's ever been. You know Anna would have thrown the most beautiful wedding. She'd have the most extravagant dress and she'd be the most gorgeous thing any of us have ever laid eyes on. I would be standing by her side, undoubtedly crying my eyes out, and James would be by yours, probably pretending to gag himself. Mr. Potter would be watching you so proudly, like a father should when his son gets married, and every other girl there would be mourning the loss of England's most eligible bachelor. But absolutely none of that would matter to you, because all you'd be able to see would be the astounding girl that was about to become yours. We'd have the best night of our lives, because God knows Anna could throw a party. And in probably exactly nine months, we would be ogling over baby Black, who would have two of the most amazing parents that have ever existed."

Sirius clung to Lily's waist and said "that painted a beautiful picture. Thank you. You really are a great person. You're one of the best friends in the world."

"Thanks Sirius. I don't know what I'd do without you either."

They comforted each other for a moment until James came in.

"Stop groping my woman," he laughed.

Sirius grinned up at him, and held out his arms. James joined in the embrace, and without any warning, James and Sirius began squeezing Lily between them.

"Oh, okay guys, can't breathe," she gasped.

They continued smiling and squeezing her.

"Hey—" CRACK! Lily disappeared, causing Sirius and James' faces to smoosh together.

"WE KILLED LILY!" Sirius wailed. James peeled Sirius' cheek of his own, smacked him upside the head, and walked out to help Lily make breakfast.

"Hey Lil," he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She splashed dishwater on his face.

As he grabbed a towel to wipe off his face, she giggled. "Hey."

"Want to go to my dad's with me today? He invited us over for dinner."

"Of course. I have to go to Diagon Alley today as well. If you're serious about wanting Polyjuice potion for your birthday, I better get started on it now."

"You're the best!" he kissed her cheek. "It's going to be one of our more ingenious pranks."

"Will you ever grow up?" she shook her head.

"No." They smiled at each other. "We'll head to the Alley around noon and get lunch at the 'Dron."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"I was just trying to be hip and—I have no bloody idea."

* * *

Lily and James apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and immediately, James was flagged down by a man in the corner.

"James!" a boisterous man boomed, clapping James on the back and pulling the couple over to his table.

"Mr. Wilson, good to see you. Have you met my girlfriend Lily?"

"Lily! Evans, is it? You were Head Girl, if I'm not mistaken. Good to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too," she smiled kindly.

"You've found a good man here. James and his father helped me and the tykes out with a few things after my wife passed away a few weeks ago. They're two of the greatest men—" he paused as he became choked up.

Mr. Wilson turned to his two small children. "These are our friends James and Lily," he told them. "They're very nice people. These are my kids Maggie and Michael."

James high-fived Michael and patted Maggie on the top of the head. Lily knelt down between their chairs. "Hi Michael, I recognize you from Hogwarts. You're a Hufflepuff, aren't you?"

He nodded shyly. "I'll be a second year."

"What about you, Maggie? Are you old enough to go to Hogwarts yet?"

Maggie shook her head.

"She still has three years," Michael informed Lily bashfully. He bit his lip nervously, looking up at her. "You're so good at magic, Miss Lily, will you help me get this disarming spell right?" he asked.

Lily beamed at the sweet child. "Of course! Show me what you have!"

"Expelliarmus!" he pointed it at his dad, but his dad's wand only wiggled in his hand. The boy's eyebrows knitted together in frustration."

Lily patted him on the back. "It's okay! You just need to move your wrist more, like this," she demonstrated. "Try it again."

"Okay…Expelliarmus!" William's dad's wand flew into his hand.

"Cool!" Maggie clapped excitedly for her brother.

"Thanks, Miss Lily!"

"Miss Lily?" Maggie asked, looking adoringly at her. "Will you put a braid in my hair?"

"Of course I can. How would you like it if I braided this into it?" She held up a napkin on the table.

"A napkin?" Maggie eyed Lily suspiciously, because she knew Lily was older and cooler, but she was suddenly unsure of her fashion sense.

"Not a napkin," Lily twisted her wand in her hand and the napkin turned into a beautiful pink ribbon.

"Oh, Miss Lily!" Maggie's eyes popped. She caught James' eye as she was braiding the ribbon into Maggie's hair, and he smiled lovingly at her. Just as he was called over from the other side of the pub, she caught him shaking his head, saying "she's meant to be a mum."

Lily finished a few minutes later and she stood up, saying goodbye to the Wilsons.

"You're special people," Mr. Wilson told her as she shook his hand once more. Lily blushed and thanked him before wandering off to find James.

She met up with him and he said, "ready to go find a table and get some lunch?"

They passed by Molly and Arthur Weasley and their growing clan of children. James started to wave, but heard them arguing.

"I just wanted to come out to celebrate my new job," he said over the youngest child, who was wailing.

"I know Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said, picking up the baby and calming him. "I just don't know if we'll be able to afford it. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea."

Lily and James sped up to avoid looking like they were eavesdropping. James grabbed the waiter as they approached an empty table.

"Put the Weasley's meal on my bill. And make sure it's anonymous," he said in a low voice.

The waiter smiled and nodded.

James turned back to Lily, who was beaming at him.

"What's that look for?" he asked.

"I'm just more and more amazed by you every day."

"Oh, stop being cheesy," he laughed and winked at her.

She grabbed his hands and rested them on the table. "No really, James. People really look up to you. They admire you so much. Have you ever thought about working for the Minister?"

"No. You really think I could?"

"I do. I think you could accomplish great things with the respect you command."

"Well I think that's a bit of a stretch, but it's certainly a lot to think about. We agreed to focus on the Order, though. Maybe if we make it out of this war…" He squeezed her hands for a moment.

Suddenly, a crack sounded and Lily felt a kiss on the top of her head. Two cracks later, and she saw Sirius appear behind James, kiss him on the head, and disappear again. They waited for a few seconds for him to reappear, but when he didn't, they just began laughing.

"Why is he so strange?" James asked.

"He's _your_ friend," Lily pointed out.

"Speaking of my friend, I loaned him money for the bike, and after lunch, I'm going to be out of galleons. I have to run to Gringotts."

"That's okay, I do as well." Just then, their food appeared in front of them.

"Will it be weird?" James asked as they started to eat.

"What?"

"Going to Gringotts together. Will it be weird? We've never really talked about how much money we have."

"I'm not really trying to avoid sounding snarky when I say that everyone knows you're loaded."

He glared at her until he couldn't keep a straight face anymore.

"All joking aside," Lily explained, "you've told me you can support us without working while we fight. I feel extremely grateful, and nothing matters beyond that."

"Good."

* * *

"Holy Merlin!" Lily clung to the side of the door to steady herself as James' vault door opened.

"Lil, I thought you said it didn't matter?"

"I'm sorry, but that was before I knew you had enough money in here to buy automobiles for every man in England. It's so good to finally know I am dating the Potter Fortune," her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"No, I'm just the heir. My dad is in possession of the Fortune right now."

It was her turn to glare at him.

"Oh, that was a joke. I see."

"There's more money? Is that even possible? I can hardly see the floor in here." She recovered herself and began wading through mounds of coins toward James.

"Again, I thought it didn't matter."

"But it does," Her tone changed and she put her hands on his chest. The goblin who had taken them to the vault let out an audible sigh. "Because you never—hardly ever—" she amended with a grin, "let it get to your head. You don't take advantage of your situation. And while I can't say you're humble, exactly, you're always willing to help where you're needed. And that's a very…desirable…quality in a man." She ran her hand down his chest.

He leaned in closely, placing his face against hers. "If we were alone right now…" he breathed into her ear.

"But you're not," the goblin reminded them loudly, making Lily and James jump apart. "So you have two minutes and then I'm leaving."

They laughed and started scooping coins into bags.

* * *

"It's creepy here now, isn't it?" James asked as he and Lily left Gringotts. The streets of Diagon Alley were dark and miserable, though it was the middle of the day.

"Very. There's hardly anyone here. It's so gloomy," Lily frowned at her favorite candy shop that had closed down along with many others along the street.

James grabbed her hand. "I can't believe Voldemort has scared the wizarding world this much."

Lily's brilliant eyes darkened. "His game is to lower our morale and separate us. And not everyone is just scared. Mrs. O'Malley has been missing for over a month. That's why her hat shop is closed."

A shiver of rage ran through James. "It just kills me to know that we can't do anything about the ones we have lost."

They fell into silence until they neared the Apothecary.

Lily let go of James' hand and pointed around the corner. "Do you see that?"

James looked up and saw a warm yellow light coming from the alley next to the shop. He pulled his wand out and led Lily around the corner.

Lily almost ran into James as he stopped abruptly and gasped. She peeked around his body and was immediately awestruck.

A large marble wall had been constructed and was engraved with the names of all of the people, wizard and muggle alike, who had been lost or injured in the fight against Voldemort. Lily located Anna's name, which was in the center of the list that approached one hundred people, between the names of her parents.

What was more astounding, however, were the thirty or so people silently showing their respects for the dead by standing statue-like with their wands lit and pointing toward the monument. Each one walked up and placed flowers or photographs at the foot of the wall. Lily walked closer and saw purple orchids, Anna's favorite flowers, and pictures of her sparkling grin scattered across the ground. Five Fifth Year students came around the corner at that moment and each took turns placing one orchid and a photograph of themselves with Anna by the monument.

Lily turned to James, put her arms around his neck, and started sobbing.

"Shhh," he tried to calm her, but his voice wavered too.

Someone tapped Lily on the shoulder, and she turned around, groping for breath. It was one of the Fifth Years. Seeing their former Head Boy and Girl in tears must have upset them, because they also had tears in their eyes as they hugged both Lily and James. One of them handed Lily her orchid, gave a watery smile, and whispered "you're so brave. I look up to you," before walking away.

Lily took a shuddering breath, and slowly walked the orchid up to the wall. She kissed it gently, sinking to her knees. She placed the flower on the ground, and whispered, "You were the brave one. I love you and I miss you more every day."

James came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He helped her up, and she leaned on him as they walked back to the Apothecary.

"It's not true, you know," he said quietly to her as she looked at the selection of boomslang skin. "You really are the bravest person I've met."

"I can only be so brave with you by my side. Promise me you'll always be there."

"I promise."

* * *

**As always, thank you for your kind reviews and favorites. **

**While you're reviewing this chapter, feel free to leave a recommended book or two, as I'm looking for something new to read! **

**I didn't mean to end this chapter here, but it was getting too long and I felt like I had to save the big scene for the next chapter. So stay tuned :)**


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